


My Soldier

by anime_dreamer130



Category: Free!
Genre: Fluff, Free! Eternal Suffering, Homecoming, M/M, Nanase Haruka and Water, gay swimming for days, makoharu - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-18
Updated: 2015-01-18
Packaged: 2018-03-08 00:01:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,163
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3188207
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/anime_dreamer130/pseuds/anime_dreamer130
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After Makoto leaves for the military, Haru gets out of the pool without the help of his long-time friend/lover. He's missed the comfort of knowing someone will always be there to help him out. </p><p>On the other hand, Makoto's been getting quite homesick, and he know's Haru's next swim meet is coming up, and he wouldn't miss it for the world.</p>
            </blockquote>





	My Soldier

**Author's Note:**

> Just a little idea that popped into my head that I decided should be up for the world to see. Enjoy!

"I miss you, Makoto," Haru whispers into the phone as he lays in bed with tears streaming down his face.

"I miss you, too, Haru-chan," Makoto whispers back from halfway across the world. 

Ever since Makoto's deployment to Europe, Haru has spent countless nights alone in their little apartment in Tokyo. After he and Makoto had graduated from college, the taller boy had just left for the military without much of a warning. Why he'd left, Haru had no idea, but he'd supported his friend-and newly made fiance-regardless, even if it meant helping himself out of the pool after every practice, and every competition.

"Are you gonna be okay?" Haru half sobbed as he rolled on his side and gazed out the window at the gleaming city lights of Tokyo.

Haru heard a sniffle come from the other end of the line. "You know I could never be totally okay without you," Makoto replied solemnly, but to ensure his love's peace of mind, he said, "But, yeah, I'll be okay. Just take care of yourself, okay?"

Haru hugged his stomach as more tears fell from his eyes. Phone calls from Makoto were so rare nowadays, he tended to get emotional at the mere sound of his voice. 

"I'll be fine," he sobbed, covering his mouth to muffle the shout of agony he longed to release.

In an attempt to lighten the mood, Makoto changed the subject, "Don't you have that swim meet tomorrow?" he asked laughing hopelessly through sobs.

Haru shut his eyes and rolled back over to the other side of the bed, his eyes pouring with unheard tears. "Yeah... I do," he said trying to get excited for the coming day. He failed miserably.

"That's... good. Great, actually," Makoto said trying his best to sound happy for Haru.

"Not without you," Haru sighed, he was starting to get tired.

Makoto laughed lightly, and Haru could've sworn he could see the smile from miles away. "Get some sleep, Haru-chan."

Before he could protest, the line went blank, Makoto's last words still lingering in the air between the screen and Haru's ear.

Haru pulled the phone away from his ear as if it weighed a hundred pounds and watched as Makoto's contact picture smiled back at him before the screen went dark. His heart ached and his lungs seemed like they would never get enough air into them, no matter how many times Haru inhaled.

"Dammit!" Haru shouted throwing his phone at the wall across from him. He buried his head in his pillow and soaked it in tears. "Dammit, Makoto!" he cried helplessly. It was bad enough when he'd been away from Makoto when Haru went to Australia, but Makoto's life hadn't been in danger, and he'd only been gone for a few days, and even then, it was unbearable to be without Makoto. Now, it had been a year and a half since he'd last been held in Makoto's arms. The last time he had, had been the best and worst day of his life.

 

Makoto had picked Haru up after his practice like usual and suggested they go to the park. It was so late, Haru had almost declined and just gone home, but he let Makoto bring him to a secluded area, hidden behind the trees and in the shadows of the fading day. 

When they'd reached their destination, Makoto had taken Haru's hands in his own and stood in front of him with a look of purpose in his eye, one that he only expressed when something important was about to happen.

"Haru-chan," he'd said in a shaky voice. "I have two very important things to tell you, and I wanted to tell you here because this was where we had our first date here in Tokyo." He'd waited for the raven haired boy to respond, but Haru remained silent. Taking a deep breath, Makoto had gone on. "We've been together since we were very small, and we've never been apart for very long. From the moment you finished our first relay with the swim club, I've been madly in love with you. Not saying that I didn't love you before!" he took on a defensive tone and blushed. Haru didn't mind, and Makoto met his eyes with him and continued. "I just look back and realize we've come so far... We've spent our whole lives together, and I want to live the rest of it the same way." Then he'd gotten on one knee and pulled a small box from his back pocket. He'd opened the box, and inside it was a small dolphin figure laying on a cushioned interior. Makoto then turned at least five shades of red darker. "Um, I know people usually have rings for these occasions, but I wanted to make this more special. Basically what I'm trying to say is, will you marry me?"

In reply, Haru had pulled Makoto back up on his feet and kissed his true love trying to put as much passion and heart into it as possible as if to say "I do." After recovering from his slight shock, Makoto rested his hands on Haru's firm hips and moved in closer to deepen the kiss. But it couldn't last forever.

Makoto had forced himself to pull away and look straight into those blue orbs that he'd come to love dearly. Makoto's expression was anything but happy, and even though he held his gaze, he looked as if all he wanted to do was turn away. Haru's gut churned and he nearly threw up, seeing Makoto like this was never a good sign. 

"And the second thing I wanted to tell you..." Makoto nearly whispered. He opened his mouth to speak, but shut it again just as quickly, trying to gather his thoughts. Haru had waited patiently, he hated seeing his boyfriend-well now fiance-like this.

"I joined the military, and I leave tomorrow morning. I don't know how long I'll be gone, but I'm being deployed to Europe."

Haru felt like a wall had just come crashing down on him.  _Not again._ It was their last year of high school all over again. Makoto was leaving him without so much of a warning. How long had he kept this secret? Days? Weeks? Months? When had he signed up? Was that where he disappeared to every day? He couldn't stand the fact that his Makoto was being stolen away from him once again, but Haru shook his head. Makoto had put up with him all these years and had always been there for him, he needed to support Makoto too. _  
_

He tried, he really did, to say something encouraging, but all he could manage was "Oh."

 

That was when his whole world had come crashing down around him, and here he was now, crying out desperately for Makoto endlessly through the night. As he gazed at the ceiling, he let the endless line of memories lull him into a restless sleep.

***

People cheered from the stands, motivating and cheering on other competitors as their names were announced. These moments before every race used to excite him, but now that he knew the only person that mattered wasn't in the crowd and being ready to help him out of the pool after the race, Haru couldn't find it in him to put his heart into being thrilled.

As Haru took his place on the starting block, memories of his time with the swim club flooded his mind from his very first time swimming to nationals, where he realized who he really wanted to be. He'd expected living his dream would be more, well, dreamy. It just wasn't what he'd wanted, because in every dream he's had, it's always had Makoto in it, and he wasn't here.

"Ready!"

Haru snapped his mind back into focus. He was here now, and that was all that mattered at the moment. He tensed his muscles, ready to launch himself into his other love of his life, water.

"Go!"

On instinct, he leaped into the water with the grace of a dolphin. The crowd roared but all Haru could hear was the sound of the water splashing and speaking to him in a language only he could understand. He was in the zone, his legs kicking like his life depended on it, his form taking on the movements of a mermaid. Some people didn't believe in the creatures, but Haru felt like he could almost just grow gills and a tail every time he entered the water. The water empowered him to do things he couldn't do on land. He was in his territory.

Just as he kicked off the wall after his turn, Makoto's voice came to mind. His speed faltered for a split second, but Makoto's voice kept pushing him forward, and he gained back the time he had lost. Makoto also empowered him, just as much, (if not more) than the water did. He helped Haru climb out of his shell. He made him feel both like a protector, and safe at the same time. He felt comfort and joy just at the mere mention of his name. Normally, Haru would push away those feelings and put his game face back on, but with Makoto, Haru felt like he could be... Haru. He didn't need to hide anything from him, not that he felt the need to hide things from others, too, but this was different.

Haru was so lost in his thoughts, he nearly ran into the wall, but reached out his hand just in time, his reflexes stopping what could've become the most painful head injury of his life. He threw his head up out of the water to look at the scoreboard and saw, not much to his surprise, his name in first place. 

"You're absolutely amazing in the water, Haru-chan!" a voice from above him exclaimed.

Haru's vision blurred, and the ringing of the crowd became distant. He turned his head to the side and saw the strong hand ready to help him out of the pool. He followed the hand and up the arm with his eyes and found the smiling face of...

Everything seemed to be in slow motion for him. Letting his instincts guide him, he reached for the hand, feeling as if he were closing a thousand mile gap. When he finally closed in and gripped the hand, all of Haru's past year and a half seemed to turn to liquid, and this became the only solid thing in the world. As strong muscles pulled him up, he followed the movements that led him to meet eyes with Makoto.

He was still in his uniform, and he seemed to have become even more strong and built than he was before. (if that was even possible) His eyes were filled with joy and pride as he gazed into Haru's ocean blue orbs. Tears were streaming from his eyes, and Haru could've sworn he heard Makoto's heart beat.

There was so much he wanted to say, but as everyone knows, Haru wasn't very good with putting his feelings into words. All he could mutter was,

"Makoto..."

And in that moment, Haru burst into tears and hugged his love for the first time in months, gripping him like he could slip away at any moment. He cried into his shoulder with his eyes shut tight. He couldn't believe it was real. Was Makoto really...?

"Haru..." Makoto returned Haru's hard grip and cried into dark locks of hair. His uniform was sopping wet now, but he didn't care. He had his Haru back.

They stood there like that for a while. Hugging and crying, never wanting to let go for fear of losing each other again, but soon enough, someone came over with a first place trophy in hand. Makoto placed a discreet kiss on Haru's head and let go unwillingly, letting his hands linger for as long as possible.

"Congratulations, Nanase Haruka!" said the lady with the trophy. 

Haru, still unable to comprehend what was going on, stood there awkwardly for a second before reaching out and giving a curt "thank you." After all of the usual celebration ceremonies, Haru and Makoto walked back to the locker rooms hand in hand.

Haru opened his locker and began to gather his things. He was only interrupted by a hand on his shoulder, making him turn around.

Green eyes that were so familiar yet so strange to see at the same time smiled back at him. "Haru-chan, I've decided to retire from my military duties for good. I will never leave your side again."

As if to sign the spoken contract, Makoto locked his lips with Haru's and guided him into a deep embrace, in which Haru returned wholeheartedly. He wrapped his arms around Makoto's neck and Makoto placed his hands on Haru's hips. Makoto might not be in military service anymore, but he would always be Haru's hero.


End file.
